A delightful valley garden that stretches down to the water’s edge
Trebah is positioned in a stunning valley that runs down to Polgwidden Cove on the Helford River. As far back as the 1800s the boundaries of the garden have been clearly defined by the distinct topography of this slice of paradise.
Throughout its history Trebah Garden has been developed by various families, with a number of visionary plantsmen and women at the helm. Just as consistency of ownership defines some of the other Great Gardens of Cornwall, Trebah has been blessed by some golden periods of ownership over the years – such as the one it is currently thriving under.
So let’s get to know Trebah. It is a beautiful, 26 acre Cornish valley garden, its micro-climate provides a sub-tropical paradise and the view down and out over the River Helford Is delightful. We can’t wait to tell you all about it!
An independently-run garden
Over its almost 200 year history, Trebah has been owned by several families, resulting in a range of influences driving the evolution of the garden. However in 1990, ownership of Trebah house, garden and cottages was transferred to Trebah Garden Trust, an independent registered charity. The Trusts’ main objectives are; “to preserve, enhance and re-create for the education and enjoyment of the public the gardens of Trebah and to promote the education of the public on matters connected with the arts and sciences of garden land”.
Source: https://www.trebahgarden.co.uk/garden
Let’s take a look back at where Trebah Garden began
Charles and Sarah Fox were the pioneers of Trebah. A wealthy family with shipping, mining and fishing interests, the Fox’s bought the house, garden and Polgwidden Cove in 1838, for the princely sum of £4,375. Sarah Fox was also a published author and poet, which was no mean feat for a woman in this era. The family built a spectacular Victorian house which became Trebah’s main residence, the original Georgian house then became the servants quarters.
Alongside the building renovations, they set to work creating a 26-acre pleasure garden at Trebah, and stocking it with novel plants from overseas – many of which had never been planted in British soil before. During their forty year tenure, Charles & Sarah Fox oversaw the planting of a shelterbelt to protect the garden from the elements and introduced hundreds of pines and oaks, many of which still survive today.
Juliet Backhouse leads a golden age of the garden
Charles and Sarah Fox’s daughter, Juliet, inherited Trebah in 1878, and was at the helm during a golden age of planting for Trebah. Juliet married Edmund Backhouse, a wealthy MP, and for 30 years the couple amassed a substantial collection of exotic plants and trees, developing Trebah into a version somewhat comparable to the garden we see today. They also gravelled the main paths that meander through the garden, and dug out the pools along the valley stream which would become defining sensory elements of the garden.
Alice Hext and the establishment of Mallard Pond
In 1907 it was the turn of the Hext family to make their mark. Charles sadly died in 1917, but Alice, a philanthropist and Justice of the Peace, took Trebah in her stride and continued to expand the diversity of the plant collection until the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1939 Alice died and the estate was inherited by a niece, who split the estate, selling the farm and house separately.
Alice’s three decades of ownership were bountiful for the garden. The once marshy patch at the base of the valley was flooded to create what is now Mallard Pond, and stocked with vibrant pink flamingos – Alice knew how to make a statement! It is from Mallard Pond that we now have arguably Trebah’s most iconic view, looking back up the garden towards the house.
Alice built a summerhouse on the eastern side of the garden that was sadly lost over the years, but was faithfully recreated in 2002 using green oak timbers, cob and cobbles from the garden. ‘Alice’s Seat’ is now surrounded by fragrant flowers, including Osmanthus, Myrtus and the wonderful ‘Christmas Box’ Sarcococca confusa; we can imagine how Alice would have enjoyed spending her time here, immersed in the fragrance, tranquillity and serenity of the garden.
From pleasure garden to strategic military base
Due to its coastal border, Cornwall found itself on high alert of invasion for much of the Second World War. Trebah was requisitioned by the military, and its coastal access lent itself as a staging area for the D-Day landings. Picturesque as it was, Trebah was not designed for military purposes, so in the name of the war effort the beach was concreted over and the boathouse was blown sky high by dynamite to make space for manoeuvring tanks. The garden itself was used to store ammunition, and trenches were dug throughout the lower section of Trebah as a line of defence.
Trebah’s defining wartime moment was 1st June 1944 when 7,500 men of the 29th US Infantry Division, “along with their tanks, guns and transport, embarked from Trebah Beach in ten 150-foot flat-bottomed LST landing craft. For five days they battled through enormous seas to the Isle of Wight and then on to the D-Day assault landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy, where they suffered grievous casualties. A memorial at the bottom of the garden commemorates the courage of these brave young American soldiers”.
Source: https://www.trebahgarden.co.uk/heritage
Donald Healey and the restoration of the beachfront
The postwar era was a tumultuous period for the garden; it was bought and sold multiple times, and tragically in 1947 the main residence burnt down, leaving only the original Georgian house sitting proudly at the head of the valley.
In 1961, Donald Healey, a racing driver and car designer, bought Trebah as a base for Healey cars. Over the next decade, Donald, with the assistance of a grant from the War Department, went to work removing much of the concrete from the beach. He also used the granite hardcore recovered from the beach to reconstruct the boathouse. The impact of the war could never be erased, but Healey was able to restore Trebah’s beachfront to a semblance of its former glory.
Major Tony Hibbert and Eira Hibbert
In 1981 Major Tony Hibbert and Eira Hibbert bought Trebah as a retirement home – yet this retirement was not an idle one. The Cornwall Garden Society persuaded Tony and Eira to establish a scheme of work that would restore the garden. It was under the custodianship of the Hibbert’s that the garden was renewed, opened to the public, and in 1990 passed over to the guardianship of the Trebah Garden Trust.
Trebah puts on a show in all four seasons
Trebah is open to visitors all year round, offering a markedly different, but no less memorable experience, in every season.
Like many of the Great Gardens of Cornwall, spring is a season which sparks a lot of interest amongst visitors; here at Trebah a riot of colour is produced by the 100 year old rhododendrons, magnolias and camellias – it is a sight to behold.
Summertime sees the giant gunnera dominate, it’s a hugely impressive display and grows from ground level to 5 metres tall in just a few months. This tunnel-like walkway through the vegetation is an incredible way to travel between areas of the garden.
Trebah’s famous hydrangeas also begin to bloom in summer, with two acres of them turning the valley hues of china blue and soft white – the vivid colours are due to Trebah’s acid rich soil.
While this colour continues throughout autumn, golden oranges and burnt reds begin to carpet the garden thanks to the shelterbelt trees and plantation of acers.
Winter is the season for the champion trees to take centre stage, whilst some southern hemisphere planting begins to flower.
Trebah is a Cornish garden of distinction
Trebah has an amazing array of bamboo species and cultivars – some with black canes, golden brown canes, yellow canes, green canes and even square canes! It can’t sustain such rates long-term – thankfully – but bamboo at Trebah often grows 10 metres in height in just one season! Trebah displays 47 different bamboo species which add a pleasing texture and exotic feel to the garden.
A natural spring flows downhill through Trebah, navigating a number of man-made pools and cascades, and playfully criss-crossing the pathway on its journey. The wet woodland shines with swathes of colour courtesy of Candelabra primula and the yolk-coloured spears of Lysichiton americanus, also known as ‘skunk cabbage’. The graceful, glossy leaves of Arum lilies produce their signature delicate white flowers throughout summer months, and the butterfly shaped Ginger lilies fill the air with exotic scent.
Mallard Pond was planted out in the 1950s, and the sight of two acres of hydrangeas in vibrant ‘Oxford and Cambridge’ blue, that now reflect off the water’s surface has become a signature Trebah scene. Now well over 50 years old, the blooms continue to stop visitors in their tracks, and it’s testament to the careful cultivation they receive that they continue to thrive as they do.
Coming up paradise
A hundred years ago, locals from the nearby village of Mawnan Smith described a walk through Trebah as ‘coming up paradise’, and you can see why.
In spring the rhododendrons take to the stage, and usually by late March the entire valley is alight with colourful rhododendrons in flower. “Trebah has literally hundreds of specimens, ranging from the ‘home grown’ Trebah Gem with its soft pink blooms, to the mighty Himalayan tree rhododendrons, such as R .arboreum. The magnificent ‘Glory of Penjerrick’, a rhododendron with possibly the deepest pink flower of all to the delicate Indian Rhododendron nuttallii with its fragrant, pale yellow, lily-like flowers”.
Whether you choose to linger in the Walled Garden, soak up the views of The Eirey, or relax in the tranquillity of The Stumpery, Trebah has an area of the garden that will inspire you. Water is an ever present element in the garden, and the river backdrop, gurgling stream, Mallard Pond and Koi Pool seem to both audibly and visually transport visitors to another realm.
Trebah Garden is perfectly situated – there is a magic about its composition which you can explore from all angles via the four mile network of footpaths. It has evolved over the decades to become an award-winning and inclusive attraction, an events venue and a vibrant green-space that appeals to all ages.
Trebah is a worthy Great Garden of Cornwall, and welcomes a staggering 100,000+ visitors every year. Under the fruitful custodianship of the Trebah Garden Trust, Jon Cummins, CEO, Darren Dickey, Head Gardener, and such a passionate team supporting its growth, we are sure Trebah will continue to thrive in the decades to come.
Source: https://www.trebahgarden.co.uk/garden/rhododendron-valley
